Anger can grant someone strength, but not everyone is an Uchiha.
"Ao, don't!"
Terumi Mei was shocked and tried to stop Ao, but the two Susanoo clashed, and their swords thrust forward simultaneously, forcing her to dodge and retreat.
On Sasuke's side, he admired the short sword and stabbed with Susanoo. Sasuke acted like a cat toying with a mouse, calm and composed. With the power of Water Release, Ao was captured in the massive hand of Susanoo.
"Being willing to sacrifice yourself for the village is a noble trait."
Sasuke pulled Ao closer, watching him struggle and sneered, "But why didn't you step up earlier? Don't you have the Byakugan? Use those stolen eyes and take a good look at how many people have died because of you."
"Kill me!"
Enduring the intense pain, Ao glared at Sasuke. "Isn't that what you're after? This Byakugan. Just kill me and take it. Leave Kirigakure!"
"It's too late."
"I gave you a chance. Kiri shinobi didn't cherish it. Not to mention… there's still one more elder who hasn't shown up yet."
Sasuke's lips curled in disdain. He took out a scroll and skillfully sealed Ao. Then, turning to the others, he ordered, "Stop playing around. Keep pushing forward. Find that old man!"
"Understood!"
Yushi once again ignited a sea of flames, forcefully clearing a path. He isolated many ninjas and boldly broke through Kirigakure's main gate.
Yumi casually slashed twice, reducing the village gates of Kirigakure to rubble.
Another large wave of Kirigakure shinobi's eyes turned red with rage.
The gate is the face of the village. These damn Uchiha not only slapped their faces, but stomped on them viciously.
The five Susanoo and their tentacles swept through Kirigakure unhindered.
At the same time, Sasuke's voice echoed through the surroundings.
"Genji, how long do you plan to keep hiding? Are you just going to watch the villagers die because of you?!"
Boom!
Sinister black flames engulfed the extravagant Mizukage building, but the flames spread slowly, allowing those inside to escape.
Yushi and the others ignored the surrounding small fry and focused entirely on demolishing the village buildings.
Yami had ordered them to destroy the village. They wouldn't do anything unnecessary. But if a few troublemakers got caught in the aftermath, so be it.
Terumi Mei was completely devastated.
Uchiha…
Just a handful of Uchiha, and the entire hidden village was powerless to resist.
Despicable Konoha, hadn't they said the Uchiha were all wiped out? Where did these monsters come from?
"Huh?"
Yumi's Susanoo suddenly trembled and was pushed back several steps.
A young boy wearing glasses stood in front of her, clutching a massive double-bladed sword. Though his body trembled with tension, his feet were rooted firmly to the ground.
"The title of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen will never fall to the likes of you!"
Yumi wasn't interested in this unimpressive-looking boy, but the two swords in his hand caught her eye.
"I remember Yami-sama already collected two of the Seven Ninja Swords?"
"If I bring this pair back, Yami-sama will definitely be pleased."
Yumi directly swung her spear, and Chōjūrō quickly raised the double-blade "Hiramekarei," sparks flying as the weapons clashed violently.
The stronger Chōjūrō was, the more excited Yumi became. She used her spear like a war hammer, smashing it repeatedly against Hiramekarei. The resulting shockwaves shook the surroundings.
Chōjūrō was already bleeding and numb all over.
Watching Yumi's frenzy, Yushi trembled and silently stepped back, afraid of getting caught in the chaos.
Yushi and Yumi were close cousins—he the younger brother, she the older sister.
But when Yami had named them, he didn't go by age or seniority, only who awakened the third tomoe of the Sharingan first.
Yushi was the youngest and most talented among them. Yumi had pushed herself to awaken the third tomoe because of him.
Yumi had always held a grudge over that ranking. Whenever she had the chance, she picked on Yushi.
"Chōjūrō!"
Seeing Chōjūrō in danger, Terumi Mei wanted to send reinforcements, but Yushi immediately blocked her path.
"I can't let you interfere with my sister."
"Get out of my way!" Terumi Mei unleashed a large volume of acid, sizzling as it splashed against Susanoo.
A silver stream of light covered Yushi's Susanoo, instantly boosting its defense.
Puff—
Chōjūrō finally hit his limit, lost grip of his swords, coughed up blood, and was sent flying backward.
Yumi happily retracted the blades, then raised her spear again to finish him off.
This guy was too weak. Clearly a key trainee of Kirigakure. Best to eliminate him now before he becomes a threat to Yami later.
"Enough."
An aged voice rang out. Surrounded by several Anbu, an old man in yellow monk robes appeared. His body was shriveled and frail—Chief Elder Genji had entered the battlefield.
"Genji, why are you here?"
Terumi Mei was shocked and quickly led a dozen Jōnin to protect him.
But in doing so, she unintentionally revealed their target to Sasuke.
Several Susanoo immediately charged in that direction. Yumi glanced at the unconscious Chōjūrō, snorted coldly, and turned to leave.
"Genji."
Terumi Mei anxiously said to the elder, "It's too dangerous here. The enemy's after you. Please leave Kirigakure—"
"Where would I go if I left the village?"
Genji cut her off and calmly waited for Sasuke and the others to approach.
"Mei, didn't you hear what that boy said? How could I let so many people die because of me?"
"If I hadn't been trying to convince the others, I would've arrived much earlier."
The Anbu around him lowered their heads in shame. Terumi Mei finally understood his intent and felt humiliated.
"Genji, these Uchiha are still human. As long as we exhaust their chakra, we'll eventually win!"
"Mei, you don't understand the power of the Uchiha…"
Genji smiled bitterly. "Can't you see they've been toying with us? If they truly wanted to kill, we'd all be dead already."
Terumi Mei looked at him in disbelief, as if struck by lightning.
Even if he was the elder she respected most, she still couldn't accept it.
They were one of the Five Great Nations. How could they be brought to their knees by just five people? Even attrition battles should wear them down.
Genji sighed.
Young people were lucky—they hadn't experienced the past.
Over fifty years ago, when he was in his prime, he witnessed a terrifying event.
A glowing light shot across the ocean from the mainland and exploded upon impact, causing massive waves that battered the Land of Water's coast. The destruction was unimaginable.
Had it hit directly, the country would've been annihilated.
Later, after an exhaustive investigation, Kirigakure learned that it had been the aftermath of a clash between two titans:
Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara.
That beam had come from Madara.
Since then, Kirigakure had kept its head down until Hashirama's death, only daring to re-enter the world's affairs.
Today, these Uchiha Susanoo weren't as terrifying as Madara's, but Kirigakure still couldn't match them. Even if they used up all their forces, what would be left?
Better that he, an old man, offer what he could one last time.
He had lived long enough.
"So, you've come to your senses?"
Sasuke dismissed Susanoo and swaggered into Kirigakure's encirclement, walking right up to Genji with a sneer.
"Wouldn't it have been better if you came out sooner, instead of dragging the whole village down with you?"
"You old guys just cling to life. Ōnoki also resisted Yami-sensei and suffered. Everyone knows the outcome—why can't you learn?"
"Young people shouldn't be so arrogant."
Mist shinobi around them, including Terumi Mei, were livid, nearly shattering their teeth from grinding.
Yet Genji just smiled freely.
"Isn't this what you Konoha types call the Will of Fire—staking your life to protect your comrades?"
"These kids were protecting me. Now it's my turn to protect them."
"One life is enough."
"Mei, the village's future is in your hands. Don't let the people down. I believe you can bear the weight of the Kage."
The crowd was moved. Someone even shouted,
"Genji-sama!"
"Genji-sama, we can still fight! Kiri Shinobi will never surrender!"
"I'll die before I let them take you!"
"Konoha dogs, step over my corpse first!"
Sasuke only sneered, watching them fume.
"Enough."
Genji brushed away those around him and calmly approached Sasuke.
"One day, Konoha will suffer the same fate.
"But you won't be around to see it."
Sasuke reached out, gripped Genji's neck, and once again summoned Susanoo, stunning the Mist shinobi who tried to interfere.
"Don't chase! Everyone, stand down and let them leave!"
Terumi Mei's eyes sparked with lightning, but she gave the order firmly.
Though she longed to give the order to kill Sasuke and the others, the sensory team had reported their chakra was still at full, terrifying levels.
To kill them would come at too great a price.
If Genji were still alive, she might've taken the gamble.
But now… as Kage, she had to think of the village.
Letting Sasuke go was the wisest choice.
"You're somewhat wise, at least."
Sasuke gave Terumi Mei a final glance. Then, the five Uchiha took to the skies, leaving only the broken ruins of Kirigakure.
Including Kumo, Hidden Villages were falling.
Of the Five Great Nations, only Suna hadn't been crushed by Konoha yet.
After Sasuke and the others left, Terumi Mei immediately began organizing rescue efforts. Though the village suffered 80% destruction, fortunately, casualties were less than expected.
This proved what Genji had said earlier:
These Susanoo hadn't even gone all out.
The overwhelming power gap left Terumi Mei in despair. Mist Shinobi alone could never take revenge—unless they outlived every strong shinobi in Konoha.
So… she could only rely on external forces.
In the temporary office, Terumi Mei summoned several uninjured Anbu, instructing them to deliver letters to the Tsuchikage, Raikage, and Kazekage.
Konoha had already shattered the balance among the Five Great Nations. For the sake of vengeance and the Land of Water's interests, they had to unite to weaken Konoha—or even destroy her outright.
But as the newly appointed Mizukage, Terumi Mei lacked influence. All she could do was make a powerful appeal and hand over authority to Tsuchikage or the others. Let them convene a Four Kage Conference and decide the countermeasures together.
"How's Chōjūrō doing?" Terumi Mei asked her assistant as the Anbu departed.
The assistant replied, "Nothing serious. Just some trauma. He'll recover with a few days of rest."
Terumi Mei nodded, then picked up the Mizukage hat and walked out of the office.
"I'll go check on him. If he recovers in time, he'll be my escort to the Four Kage Conference."
Land of Rain.
Just as a mature beauty was keeping an eye on Konoha, Konoha's Hokage was busy sampling the local snacks of the Land of Rain.
And quite seriously, too.
"Not gonna lie, compared to Konoha's food, this is way lighter," Yami commented at a Kanto-style diner.
Kakashi burped. "I like it. It's cheap too. Konoha's prices right now… I'm barely scraping by."
Yami gave him a glance. "If you've got something to say, say it. Just finish your food. We're heading out after this."
Kakashi's face fell. "C'mon, Hokage-sama, can you be more careful with your words? What do you mean, 'heading out'?"
"Oh."
Yami calmly ate the last dumpling and picked up the gift box next to him.
"Eat up. Once we're done… it's time to send that god on his way."
(To be continued.)
***
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